Four states along the south Atlantic have joined together to form a regional partnership on coastal issues.

Its first item of business is agreeing on agenda.

The South Atlantic Alliance includes Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina.

It was formed by the states' governors last year and recently released a draft plan to get the states in sync, including lessening environmental impacts of port expansion.

Spud Woodward of Georgia's Coastal Resources Division, the draft plans draw in part from the harbor deepening experience in Savannah.

"The goal is to make sure that as the coast develops that traditional uses of the waterfront are considered in the plans," Woodward says. "Especially when you have a port on a border river like we do in the Savannah, so that states like South Carolina and Georgia can really work collaboratively."

A draft is available for public comment online and input sessions are scheduled in coastal regions.

For more information:

South Atlantic Alliance

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